The use of aqueous compositions for the surface treatment of metal, ceramic, glass, and plastic articles is well known. Additionally, cleaning, plating, and deposition of coatings on the surface of articles is known to be carried out in aqueous media. In both cases, a halocarbon solvent and a hydrophobic surfactant may be used to displace water from a water-laden surface.
A variety of solvent-surfactant drying compositions for water displacement are utilized. For example, solvent-surfactant compositions based on 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane ("CFC-113") are used. However, toxicity and environmental concerns are leading to a decline in the use of such CFC-based systems.
The identification of suitable surfactants for use with hydrochlorofluorocarbons ("HCFC's"), hydrofluorocarbons ("HFC's"), and hydrofluoroethers ("HFE's") solvents suitable to replace CFC solvents is proving difficult for a variety of reasons. First, many of the known surfactants cannot be dissolved in such solvents. Further, dry cleaning, drying, and water displacement require surfactants that impart distinct properties to the solvent used. For the removal of oil from machined parts, the surfactant must aid in the removal of the soils that would otherwise only be sparingly soluble in such solvents. Additionally, water displacement requires a surfactant that does not form a stable emulsion with water. Therefore, one must not only identify those surfactants soluble in the HCFC, HFC, or HFE solvent selected, but surfactants that also have the desired activity in the solvents.
The present invention provides a new class of HCFC, HFC, and HFE soluble, hydrophobic, fluorine-containing surfactants. These surfactants exhibit desirable surface activity in the solvents and are useful in displacing water.